S. Tyszkiewicz et al., MULTIPARAMETRIC METHOD FOR THE RHEOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF MEAT AND OTHER SOLID FOODS, Journal of texture studies, 28(3), 1997, pp. 337-348
Continuously Alternating Stress-Relaxation Analysis (CASRA) was automa
ted and adopted to the Zwick Universal Testing Machine. The method per
mits characterization of rheological properties of meat and other food
s by applying sequentially increasing loads, alternating with a relaxa
tion period of equal equal duration, until the structure collapses. Th
ree parameters: plasticity, P, elasticity, E, and fluidity, Fare deriv
ed from the recorded rheograms. Using wieners as a model system, the c
oefficients of variation were determined to be 14.8% for P; 9.7% for E
and 8.8% for F. principles of graphic description of rheograms are pr
esented and the effect of plunger size is demonstrated. Examples are g
iven of the application of the method to meat products and gels used a
s fat replacements.